Pitso Warns Sundowns Ahead Of MTN8 Semi-Final Showdown
Golden Arrows coach Pitso Dladla has revealed how his side plans to prepare for Sunday’s MTN8 semifinal second leg against Mamelodi Sundowns at King Zwelithini Stadium.
Abafana Besthende will head into the decisive encounter with a narrow advantage after securing a 1-0 victory over the Brazilians in the first leg at Lucas Moripe Stadium last Sunday.
With a place in the MTN8 final at stake, Dladla says his technical team will carefully analyse Sundowns’ recent matches before deciding how Golden Arrows will approach the second leg.
“I think this is the right time to talk about the game against Sundowns,” Dladla said.
“We will plan for this game, and we will also review the game we played against them last week, and then we will plan well how we are going to approach it.”
Abafana Besthende will also enter Sunday’s match with confidence after claiming a positive result in the Betway Premiership during the week. Dladla’s side defeated Stellenbosch at the uMlazi venue, providing them with further motivation ahead of the crucial cup encounter.
Sundowns, however, also boosted their confidence ahead of the second leg after beating AmaZulu 5-2 in the Betway Premiership during midweek.
The result means both teams will arrive at King Zwelithini Stadium having secured victories in their respective league matches since the first leg.
That sets up an intriguing second leg, with Sundowns needing to overturn the 1-0 deficit, while Golden Arrows will be determined to protect their advantage and complete the job in front of their home supporters.
The two clubs are also chasing their second MTN8 triumph since the competition was renamed the MTN8 in 2008.
Abafana Bes’Thende won the second edition under the MTN8 name in 2009, when they were guided by Manqoba Mngqithi. Sundowns, meanwhile, lifted the trophy in 2021 under Mngqithi, who was serving as co-coach at the time.
Mngqithi is the same man Dladla replaced during the off-season.
Interestingly, Sundowns eliminated Arrows in the semifinal of that 2021 competition, adding another layer of history to Sunday’s encounter.
However, Sundowns will have to achieve what several teams, including Kaizer Chiefs, have failed to do this season: score against a Golden Arrows side that has been exceptionally difficult to break down.
Arrows have not conceded a goal in nine matches across all competitions, dating back to last season, and have beaten both Chiefs and Sundowns during that run.
Five of those matches have come this season. The last time Arrows conceded was in a 1-1 draw against AmaZulu on 6 May last season.
Their last defeat came in a heavy 5-0 loss to Orlando Pirates at Orlando Amstel Arena in April. Since then, Arrows have gone 13 matches unbeaten in all competitions.
With their defensive record and narrow first-leg advantage, Arrows will be confident of reaching the MTN8 final, but Sundowns will be determined to find a way through and overturn the deficit.
